Dome By-The-Numbers

Dome By-The-Numbers

Dome Restoration

2 miles of decking, enough to build a sidewalk 5 feet wide x 2 miles long from the US Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial

5 layers of safety netting in Rotunda

14,700 square feet total Rotunda safety netting, approximately the size of two tennis courts

6,100 lbs. total weight of Rotunda netting

12,800 inches of cracked cast iron will be repaired (8,200 inches will be repaired with the "lock and stitch" technique, 4,600 inches will be repaired with the "Dutchman" technique)

1,215 gallons of paint will be used to repaint the Dome - 3 layers x 405 gallons each. Final top coat color is "Dome White."

Dome Weight

8,909,200 pounds weight of Dome = approximately 4,500 tons = about the same weight of 20 Statues of Liberty

Dome Exterior Height

376 feet height above Potomac River (includes Hill elevation)

288 feet height above East Front Plaza including Statue of Freedom, is the tallest cast iron dome in world approximate height 29 story building

210 feet height above East Front Plaza to the balcony used for Dome tours at Tholos

199 feet height of Dome measured from Dome Skirt to Base of Freedom

555 feet height of the Washington Monument is 267 feet taller than the U.S. Capitol. Because the base of the Washington Monument is 30 feet above sea level, and that of the Capitol is 88 feet above sea level, the top of the Washington Monument is 209 feet higher than the top of the Capitol Building.

Dome Diameter

135 feet measured from exterior

96 feet measured from interior

Rotunda

180 feet from Rotunda floor to top of the Apotheosis; the Statue of Liberty without her base would fit with room to spare (she is 151 ft)

85 feet from Rotunda floor to first visitor gallery

149 feet from the Rotunda floor to the second visitor gallery

20 feet from the bottom edge of the Apotheosis to the apex at the center of the hemisphere